Doesn't Matter
by PeachyLana
Summary: Change isn't as easy as Loki thought it would be. Especially when your future self decides to fuck it up. A Loki: Agent of Asgard fic. It gets dark. Loki/Verity. Verity/King Loki too. He does what he wants.
1. if you like it or not

The chapters following this one won't be as verbatim.

**Doesn't Matter: If you like it or not**

**Then**:

Loki could smell the desperation in the air of the bar; it baited him to prey on the surrounding sorrowful lot. He thought confronting Lorelei during this ridiculous mortal mating scheme would provide a moderate amount of entertainment, but that was _before _the first round of speed-dating began. Describing the experience as 'excruciatingly boring' was a fucking understatement. Why not make use of his time by fine-tuning his manipulation skills? Who knows, maybe he'd actually meet someone decent enough to fuck tonight if things didn't go well with the goddess-turned-street-hustler.

He lost count of how many women he spoke to, but smiled at the brunette presently in front of him. Thoughts of harmless play quickly morphed to the more perverse. If he had to kill time until he got to Lorelei, then he was going to make it _fun_. It wasn't like he _planned_ on collateral damage in the wake of this simple meeting. Luckily, the brunette couldn't see Loki's real smile; his illusion's face appeared far more pleasant and less maniacal. If she only knew how easily he read her and what he wanted to do to her, she would be long gone.

"**Creep." **

Loki involuntarily turned his head toward a woman's voice coming from behind. For a moment he thought the words were directed at him, as if she could read his damned thoughts. He could only see a curtain of, far too colorful to be natural, red hair and a disgruntled man quickly leaving her table. Well, what the hell did she expect? The place was swimming with some of the most pathetic mortals he ever encountered. Loki looked back to the brunette, but inexplicably lost interest her.

"So do you have any kids?" She asked as he stared off blankly.

Loki withheld a laugh. "No."

"**Lie." **

The redhead's accusatory voice cut through the cacophony and startled him. That sure as hell perked his attention, especially after the next implicated man grumbled and hurriedly left. She could either detect when lied or had an uncanny ability to guess. Loki's curiosity turned to envy. _At least someone's having an interesting time._

Loki moved to the next table, relived to look Lorelei right in the eye. She had no idea it was him, of course. If he played his cards right he could probably talk the goddess into a threesome at the end of this again. Lorelei preferred men, but Loki already scouted the hot bartender, confident he could close the deal once he lost this illusion. He passed her his wallet acting under her influence and followed her lead as a good slave would. _If your big sister could see you now._

"**Slimeball." **

Red's insults needed work, and she interrupted his wallowing in sick pleasure with Lorelei's new rock bottom. Loki glanced over his shoulder, ignoring Lorelei speaking directly to him to get another glimpse. He didn't keep count of how many men she ran off, but by the time he turned back Lorelei already left and flirting with some other loser.

_Whatever._ Why draw this out with stupid games? He didn't need to play around and give Lorelei clues. Did he really want to go more rounds at the saddest place on Midgard? There wasn't even anyone else he'd consider sleeping with besides Lorelei, the bartender, and maybe the Weird Girl. Even the notion of toying around with the other wretched humans no longer seemed enjoyable. All the things that once brought him delight now brought along a heavy dose of guilt. Loki's frustration brought along darker thoughts. If he was going to feel guilt, might as well go big, right? Mass hysteria suddenly sounded incredibly appealing_._ _I think I'm going to turn the entire-_

"**No, it's not! Your name isn't Ray! Get the hell out of here!"**

The woman's shout jarred Loki back to coherence, and focused all of his attention upon her. Loki didn't bother with magic to change the order; he just slid into the empty seat at table six across from his victim.

Now with an up close view, he immediately judged her appearance. Besides her hair, the dark matte lipstick, hipster glasses, and tattoo covered arms gave her an edgy, sexy appeal. She looked the type that would be up for dirty sex if he could crack that shell. Now, how to begin? There were so many ways to open the conversation. But before a faux introduction could pass his lips, she went straight for the jugular.

"Okay. Wow. Sorry-are we cosplaying now?" She put down her long island iced tea and leaned forward with a smirk.

_Well, fuck, this is unexpected. _Loki looked her over, eyes lingering on her tight, black tank top as he searched for words. A feat not so easily accomplished. Somehow Miss Sons of Anarchy saw through his illusion without realizing it. _Interesting._

"I don't know. Are we?" Loki asked curiously. He certainly had a thing for 'scary girls' aka 'women that called him out on his shit,' bonus points if she could actually kick his ass. Unfortunately, this one didn't give off half as much aggression as he'd prefer. _Aww, she's not that scary at all._ She was here because she was lonely, not for some sadistic fun on a Friday night. Loki hid his disappointment.

She looked at him wide-eyed, surprised by his answer. "Well one of us certainly is."

_Yes, indeed_. Loki watched her scrutinize his outfit, but her eyes found their way back to his face. Loki smirked. No surprise there; he was unfairly attractive. This meant it would be even easier to get her into bed. _She can __**see**__ you._ Yeah, he should probably figure that out _first_…then sex.

"Why the getup? Is there a con going on somewhere?"

Loki sighed and leaned back, casually draping his arm over the back of the chair. "There's always a con going on somewhere." It was a stupid joke she wouldn't get, but Loki needed to test his theory. "But to answer your first question…"

_Fuck it, why not? _

He told her the truth. Instead of getting up and leaving after "Norse God", like any sane person would have, she raised a brow and listened along. "I know, it sounds like the most ridiculous lie…but it's not." Loki fixed his gaze and prompted her. "Is it?"

She paused with a comically distraught expression. Loki could sense she didn't want to answer. He already had the upper hand and it felt incredibly satisfying. "…No." She admitted with trepidation in her eyes. The intimidating façade she carried for the entire night crumbled.

Suspicions confirmed. He should immediately murder her. Loki quickly pushed the fleeting notion aside. No murdering innocent people. It went against the whole 'change' thing. _I'm not that Loki_. If kept repeating that mantra maybe he'd eventually believe it.

"What…what's your, uh, your mission." She struggled to put words together, still affected by his introduction, but pressed for more information.

Loki obliged, mostly out of amusement, but fuck, he hoped she pulled it together soon enough or this would get old fast. "A certain goddess named Lorelei." As soon as he uttered the name, she frowned with a baffling amount of disappointment.

"I…I don't know who that is…"

_No fucking kidding._ Did she think he expected her know who the hell Lorelei was? Unfortunately for her, a very entertaining idea sprouted from it. Loki leaned in with a knowing smile and a nauseating amount of charm. "Of _course_ you don't."

She furrowed her brows at his ambiguous tone, but Loki ignored it and quickly delved into a story starring his favorite topic: himself. As Loki spoke, he debated what to do with her. Did her usefulness outweigh the trouble she'd inevitably bring?

She leaned forward with her chin in her hands; eyes alit with intensity and broke in for a comment. "Wow. So that was you?"

"What? No!" A genuine smile _almost_ broke through Loki's artificial expression of bewilderment. "Why would I use a gun?" As if it was all so clear…She should really be telling him to fuck off about right now. He needed to rein it in a bit. Although, he found it somewhat disturbing how quickly she accepted the shape shifter bit. Like, after only five seconds of shock and awe she just fucking 'okayed' it? What the hell was this woman? A mutant, inhuman, or something else altogether?

Loki missed the method of forceful interrogation in scenarios like this. Regrettably, this wasn't the proper venue for it, and torture was also not on his 'go to' list, much like murder. He didn't have all evening to coax out details, and Lorelei would be finding his calling card shortly. He wrapped up the tale and came in for the kill.

"I did wear an illusion this time." Loki narrowed his eyes. The surprise on her face revealed she had no idea. "Everyone here sees me as a 40-year old divorcé named Ken." Loki blatantly looked her up and down and then tilted his head curiously. "Everyone but you."

She balked and sputtered out sounds that definitely weren't words. Loki really hoped she followed the path his twisted narrative led. _Come on, you're so close._ Loki badly wanted to witness his manipulation come to fruition; the intensity he unknowingly projected pushed her over the edge.

She denied an accusation he never voiced. "Wait you—You don't think I'm—"

_Mission accomplished. _"What? No!" Loki casually pointed out Lorelei, and then circled back to real issue. "You're the only person here who actually saw me. I'm curious as to why."

An invisible bucket full of woe looked like it was dumped over her head, because she slumped into a sadness that could drown kittens. _Fuck._ Now he was going to get the life story.

"I…My name's Verity Willis and no one has ever lied to me."

Loki realized he never even asked her damn name. _Shit, I'm really that much of a dick?_ He immediately shrugged it off. _Verity Willis? _Someone's parents liked Latin a bit much. While she rambled on about the hardships of living with her ability, Loki nodded along, but mentally listed scenarios where he could utilize her skill. It was a terrible idea. What the hell would he do, drag this mortal along with him on missions? How would he keep her alive for more than five minutes? Loki came back in at the end of her story. She spouted off how she only sat around reading about math, programming, and physics. So, she's a lonely_, incredibly intelligent_ woman who could also see through illusions and lies.

_Hello, new neighbor._

She was on the verge of tears. If he wanted access to her talents then he needed to at the very least comfort her; especially after he fucked with her head for a good ten minutes. Loki grabbed her hand and offered up some kind words. All technically true. Surely _someone _existed (in the universe or multiverse) that wouldn't lie to her.

"So uh…" Verity hesitated. "Will I see you again?"

_And that's how it's done._ Nothing good would come from "befriending" this chick…at least nothing good for_ her_. "Oh, Probably." Lorelei glared at him as she passed the table, cuing his exit. "We might even live in the same building. You sound like the perfect neighbor. But right now…If you'll excuse me," he stood and smirked slyly at Verity over his shoulder. "I have a mission to attend to."

* * *

><p>Next: Howdy neighbor, can I borrow a fire extinguisher?<p>

AN: Very much a WIP. I don't know if it will jump from T to M, usually my stuff eventually does.


	2. if you wanna play my game

AN: Apologies for any errors. I've been a little all over the place.

**Doesn't Matter:**

**If You Wanna Play My Game**

Verity checked her watch; ten minutes left. Her mouth already began to water as the scent of chocolate filled the room. She went back to her book while it was still quiet enough to read. For the past few hours the neighbor's loud sound system vibrated the wall they shared, making it near impossible to focus. Earlier it was a movie and from the amount of explosions she assumed Michael Bay directed it; then it turned into a video game. Not the usual sounds that came from a girl in a small jam band. Verity shrugged it off; the girl was on the road for months at a time, she could handle a few loud evenings.

Back to physics…she stared at the words on the page, but her mind wandered to a thought she pushed aside for almost a week. It wasn't really that weird to think about it. She met _Loki._ It topped the list of the most surreal things she ever experienced. Did she think about what it would be like with a god living next door? Of course! What person wouldn't fathom the idea of it? It was crazy. _He_ had to be crazy. "No more thinking about Loki," she muttered aloud.

She turned the page and the lights flickered. It wasn't unusual for the building so Verity ignored it, until she smelled smoke instead of deliciousness. _Is something burning?_

"Oh shit." Verity ran into the kitchen, coughing on the billowing smoke emanating from the oven. "My brownies are on fucking fire?! Are you kidding me?!" She slightly calmed, turning off the oven. As long as she didn't open the door the lack of oxygen should smother it. This could be handled without calling the fire department. How the fuck did that happen? The smoke got thicker and she decided to get ready for a back-up plan just in case.

She dashed out of her apartment and knocked loudly on the door next hers. No answer. "It's Verity!" Her voice carried the rising panic and she knocked louder. "And it's semi-urgent!" Finally, the door opened. "Do you have a fire extingu-" Verity's mouth dropped in shock, looking a half-clothed man in front of her. "What the…hell? Loki?"

The Norse god smiled at her, running a hand through his wet, black hair. "Hey Verity! Sorry, I was in the shower."

The confusion sidetracked her. "What are you doing here?" She asked while the smoke alarm could now be heard out in the hallway. "No, forget that!" She remembered the purpose of her visit. "Can you…conjure a fire extinguisher?" Verity realized she flailed her hands around like some sort of miming magician.

"I think I have one under the sink." He casually walked into the kitchen. "What happened?"

Verity impatiently yanked it from his hands. "I have no idea!" She shouted running back down the hall.

Verity sighed at the mess; crisis over and dessert ruined. Her arms tired from waving a dishtowel at the smoke detector to make it stop. She could have asked Loki for more help, but at his lackadaisical pace more than just her oven would be ruined.

Just as she thought his name, Loki appeared in her open doorway and leaned casually against the frame. Verity swore she saw an amused smile on his face for a second. He snapped his fingers instantly silencing the alarm.

"Thanks." She sighed, noticing his gaze move around her living room while she opened windows for fresh air. He seemed far too interested in her chotchkies. "How long have been living here?"

"Since yesterday." He glanced down the hallway to her bedroom, and then finally gave her his full attention. "I was going to come by and say hello eventually. So…hello." He waved like nothing happened. "Do you want to come over for a bit while this airs out?"

Verity debated his offer. She did have questions and it would be nice to breathe cleaner air. Her eyes involuntarily wandered lower.

"I have wine." He looked downward following her gaze. He grinned and radiated enough handsome charm to fully disarm her. "Oh, and I'll be wearing clothes."

She frowned. "Well then, no thanks."

Loki's small laugh surprised her. "I prefer not to call attention to myself _all_ the time." He blatantly lied while looking straight into her eyes.

He lied to her knowing she could see it. It was different and a bit exciting. He was good. Part of her wanted to see this guy in action, and see just how good he was. She found herself smiling back. "Sure, give me a few minutes to clean myself up."

* * *

><p>"Wow, you actually look somewhat normal." Verity commented immediately as Loki opened the door. She arched a brow at his completely normal t-shirt and jeans while she finished clipping up her freshly washed and wet hair.<p>

"Somewhat normal?" Loki repeated. Verity tilted her head, trying not to smile, but didn't enter. After a few silent and awkward five seconds, Loki looked at her curiously. "Do I need to formally invite you in like a vampire?" His eyes narrowed in thought. "Wait, you're not a…nevermind." He waved off the rest of his sentence. Verity was too preoccupied stirring up the nerve to question him to find any humor in it.

She looked him straight in his stupid, bright green eyes. She wasn't used to intense eye contact, and he really seemed to enjoy it. "Did you kill my neighbor?"

Loki blinked. "What? No! Geez, you have a terrible opinion of me." He looked let down by the accusation and it actually made her feel bad. "And asking that two feet from me wouldn't mean I couldn't kill you too -but of course I wouldn't do that…to you." Loki's sentence took a hard turn and derailed as he quickly tried to save it. "You know what I'm trying to say, right?"

"Barely." Now satisfied with him not murdering the previous tenant, she finally entered.

Verity tentatively walked into his living room, suddenly not concerned with being in a Norse God's abode. It was fucking huge. She withheld a "bigger on the inside" comment. The TV and the decor were obviously expensive. How the hell did he have floor to ceiling windows? She looked out, admiring the vast view of the city skyline.

"Nice isn't it?"

Verity jumped; silently cursing her own unease. If Loki noticed, which she was sure he did, he didn't show it and handed her a glass of wine. "Yeah, it's _too_ nice. You did this with magic?"

Loki shrugged. "Well, some of it. The square footage of Manhattan apartments is a bit cramped for my taste."

"It's small for us mortals too." She took a sip of her drink without thinking. Now she trusted the god of fucking mischief to bring her a drink? This was insane. Verity sat on his couch and forced herself into another awkward conversation topic. "So did you end up completing your mission the night we met?" _Did you just ask him in a roundabout way if he fucked that woman?_

Verity could tell he thought about wording it differently, but ultimately decided against it. "No," Loki didn't seem to mind admitting anything. "But I had very good reasons not to do so." He smirked. "Nothing as nefarious as you're imagining though."

"Are you're evenings usually that uneventful?" She asked. _Are you flirting with him?_

"Not really. If I'm bored enough I can make my own fun." Loki's nonchalant comment struck her.

"Look, I don't care what you do, but if you have magic and all that, maybe try some sound-proofing. I could hear that entire terrible movie and…" She picked up a video game from the stack on the coffee table. "Oh my god, I love this game."

Loki grinned. "Wanna play?"

**Two hours later…**

"No no no!" Verity half-laughed half-squealed, shouldering Loki beside her as their characters raced side-by-side on the track of the giant television. It was like ramming herself against a brick wall. It didn't matter her character got spun out via turtle shell again. He kicked her ass three times in a row. She poked his side. He jumped at the touch. "What the hell are you made of?" Verity asked. She couldn't budge him with half her body weight, but he felt and moved at a small touch?

"Well," Loki leaned back with a broad smile. "I am a god."

Verity rolled her eyes, drinking the last of her third glass of wine. "That's going to get old fast."

"I know." Loki's gaze caught her eyes again. "That's why we're going to be very good friends."

She felt her breath catch. He wanted to be _friends_ with her? Then why were his words soaked in the seductive charisma of a serial killer? "It's late. I should go." She also drank too much and didn't want to make a huge mistake.

Loki nodded and stood, offering his hand like a gentleman and walking her to the door. "I had fun."

He wasn't lying and Verity had to admit it herself. "Yeah, me too." She paused in the doorway, and turned around. Verity put her hand on her hip. "I'm pretty sure we don't have the same definition of 'friends', because you know, _trust _is kind of the basis for that."

"You can trust me." Loki said. "I really do want to be friends, at the very least."

Verity almost questioned his wording, but if he wasn't being sincere she'd find out soon enough.

Loki watched the slightly tipsy girl walk back to her apartment. Keep this platonic it was going to be a nightmare. His eyes slid down from her off the shoulder shirt to the black yoga pants she wore all evening. He closed the door with a smug smile on his lips.

It was an incredibly clichéd plan, but still fun. Sure, he _could _have asked her to come over without starting a fire in her apartment or destroying her kitchen appliances. Loki's enjoyment lessened with the slight feeling of guilt that weighed heavier by the moment. _It's not like I was going to let her get hurt or die, and any damage could be easily fixed with a little magic._

Loki just had to convince himself it wasn't as desperate or creepy as it began to sound.

* * *

><p><strong>NEXT:<strong> Loki in a dumpster, an awkward introduction, and King Loki might hijack this fic really soon.


	3. if you need it or not

**Doesn't Matter: If you need it or not**

_Friends._ Loki entertained the notion that his relationship with Verity might have reached that point. The word seemed strange, but dinner with a friend was something mortals did all the time. Although she did seem surprised at his offer; it wasn't a date.

It really wasn't.

Even so, Loki couldn't figure out why she chose to sit on the floor as she ate. Was this a new thing mortals did or just socially awkward ones? It seemed fucking weird, and he was pretty up to date on most things related to Midgard.

In the middle of her half-hearted attempt to compliment his cooking, Verity's eyes moved to an empty space in the room and her face distorted in confusion.

That was when all hel broke loose.

* * *

><p>It took a second for Verity to process what the fuck just happened. One moment she was eating salmon, then Loki was sword fighting some invisible guy, and now she was running, <em>in her socks<em>, down ten flights of stairs. It would be a miracle if she _didn't_ break her neck.

Verity was irrationally annoyed at his apparent death. Shouldn't _**Loki **_be a bit more badass than that_?_ She stiffened as sweat-covered skin hit the cold air outside.

"Loki?!" Verity shouted after finally catching her breath. She hurdled over broken glass to get to the dumpster, and spotted Loki's sword on the sidewalk. She picked up the blade and slowly peered inside the giant container terrified. "Oh god, please don't be dead…or dying." There was no corpse there, much to her relief_. _Maybe he crawled his way down the next block and is dying there. It would be wrong to go back and get shoes now…right?

Verity turned and nearly stabbed an idiot in a green hoodie, who stood _way_ too close behind her. "God damn it, Loki."

He looked perplexed. "Oh yeah, I forgot you could see me." Loki admitted with a guilty smile. "I got Sigurd's belt." He pointed to the piece of AIM tech around his hips.

"Were you going to watch me freak out without saying anything!?" She shouted in anger.

"Of course I was _going_ to say something." He sighed in disappointment. "This would be really cool to anyone but you."

Verity's eyes fell to the red splotches on his green sweatshirt and she grabbed his arm. "Are you bleeding?"

Loki looked down at the stain. "No, that's ketchup."

Her hand clenched the sword tighter, and now Loki wondered if she going to remedy the lack of blood on his clothing. Verity exhaled forcefully and stomped back into the building. He realized his error and ran to catch up with her.

"Verity wait, don't be mad!" He slid into the elevator beside her as the doors closed. He could fix this; he didn't like her pissed off at him. The notion that her opinion of him mattered was somewhat bothersome.

Verity slammed her hand down on the button for their floor. "Thank goodness you _can't_ be invisible to me. Who knows what creepy thing you'd be up to? And here I was worried about Sigurd being the skeevy one."

Loki frowned. It took longer than he liked to craft a true statement that didn't make him look or sound like a sociopath. He needed to segue into another topic.

She turned her head and looked him over with irritation. "How many invisible things do you even need?"

Loki raised a brow at the timing. _Perfect. _"You'd be surprised."

She snapped her head back to the elevator doors still scowling. Loki tried not to smile, but there was something adorable about her anger.

"Is every piece of clothing you own something weird and enchanted? Now you have Pegasus boots?"

"These are Seven-League boots; I **wish **I had Pegasus boots." Loki crossed his arms with a wistful sigh. "And Zora's flippers too, but I'm lacking a few hundred rupees. That giant fish doesn't take anything but cash." Loki watched her out of the corner of his eye for a reaction. She was fighting to keep her scowl. That was a good sign.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, pushing her glasses askew. _How does he know that?_ Loki's knowledge of early nineties pop culture was disturbing. "Is this what life is like around you all the time?"

"It's not boring," Loki smiled.

Verity didn't get it. How was he smiling? He was dirty, fell a good hundred feet, and now had a broken window. That usually wasn't a reason to be upbeat.

Loki leaned against the wall of the elevator; Verity tensed at the sound of groaning metal. Physics told her it could easily handle an Asgardian's weight, but it didn't completely alleviate her anxiety. She chewed her lip watching the numbers slowly climb upwards until Loki's voice distracted her.

"Sorry dinner got ruined." He apologized. "And I understand if you don't want to help me out with what I was talking about before, but now I've got to take care of this before the All-Mother sees I let another one slip away."

She turned to him now that the anger subsided. "What happens if you don't?"

"Well, you wouldn't have to worry about me living next door anymore…or anywhere on Midgard." Loki watched her response carefully.

"Are they really going to hold that over your head?" Verity furrowed her brow. "I didn't think Loki would bend to threats." She shot back with a bit more snark than intended.

He shrugged. "I have _a lot_ to make up for, probably more than I can make amends for in this lifetime." Loki glanced at Verity; she was visibly upset. He almost grasped her shoulder, but kept his hands to himself. "Don't look so worried!" He chided. "I can handle this."

Verity knew Loki believed it, but he was also an overconfident, arrogant asshole. She walked out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened but turned and looked him in the eye. "Are you okay?"

"Can you be a bit more specific on what you are referring to?" It finally hit Loki that this mortal actually _cared_ about his well-being.

"Can gods get concussions?" She asked.

"Absolutely, but I'm physically fine, Verity." Loki assured as they entered the disaster of an apartment.

"Here." She handed him his weapon, not mentioning how 'Damage Twig' resembled a tempered Master Sword. If he dropped any more video game references from 1992 she might just fuck him. "Do you have magic to fix this?" Verity picked up a giant shard of broken glass and retrieved the plate she left on the floor.

"You really have to ask me that?" Loki paused and narrowed his eyes. "Oh that's right; you thought I died as soon as I flew out that window." That still annoyed him. "Give me more credit than that."

"Then do a better job with impressing me." Verity smirked. There was something pleasing about his irritation with her. Now he knew what it felt like.

Loki pulled off his filthy sweatshirt. Verity involuntarily reached out and brushed a wrapper from his hair with disgust.

"Gross. You need a shower."

Loki grinned. "Of course…Care to join me?" Verity predictably rolled her eyes, but Loki quickly addressed it. "I was kidding," but her glare continued. "I was _mostly_ kidding."

* * *

><p>Next Time: What the fuck? King Loki totally didn't show up. That's <em>so <em>something he'd do. Don't worry, when he does this all goes to hell.

AN: Sorry, it's short; I'm reworking it. I think this is just going to be a bit smuttier than I originally intended, and not with the pairing I originally had in mind. It might get really twisted, an obviously not go along with the timeline. Have I mentioned that I have no idea what I'm doing?


	4. to me 'cause you're all the same

I already know this is bad(in general). I swear I had a plan, but this always happens. I'm upping the rating now. Let's just go ahead and put a whole bunch of _**trigger warnings**_ too.

**Doesn't Matter: **

**To me 'cause you're all the same**

Loki watched his younger self in the swirling orb of green magic with growing annoyance. He usually ignored the red-head, but she popped up in the picture more than he remembered. Now the idiot assimilated her in with other Asgardians like Lorelei and Sigurd; luckily those two would be out of the picture soon enough.

What bothered Loki more was how his younger self acted around her. The fact that he once cared about this mortal was written all across his young face. Loki's features scrunched up in disgust at the sight. Maybe he could use this to his advantage. Why not speed things along while teaching him a lesson in holding something so fragile and beneath him close to his heart? He'd be doing his younger self a huge favor.

* * *

><p><em>Ugh, not again. <em>Verity sighed. She stood in the middle of a post-apocalyptic landscape, the host of her reoccurring zombie nightmares. Her dreams were always lucid, but it never made a difference if she knew it wasn't real. She couldn't make a cool weapon appear, fly, or you know, do anything fucking fun that you should be able to do in a dream. The dark, twisted ruined buildings looked eerily familiar under the darkened sky. If she concentrated hard enough she might be able to wake herself up…

She closed her eyes and walked ahead. "I wouldn't mind someplace more comfortable and maybe a hot guy." Verity hoped her brain would get the cue and even rubbed her fingers against her temples. "A good sex dream would be a nice change."

"That could be accommodated."

Verity froze at the voice; she knew that strange accent. She opened her eyes not surprised to see Loki, how did she know it was Loki? He had horns, but his entire outfit was something she vaguely remembered. She looked him over, noting the tightness of the clothing and that he appeared much more muscular than usual. _Nice…_ Finally her eyes moved up to his face. The youthful face of a twenty-something was now much older.

She acknowledged the fact that he didn't look the same, but it didn't strike her as all that odd. Nothing in his eyes or smile appeared coy or playful like she was used to. _His_ smile was just plain disturbing. She chalked it up to being a dream and remained indifferent. "Are you here to help me fight zombies?"

"I didn't plan on it." Loki's eyes moved over her carefully.

She put her hands on her hips. "Then what are you doing here?" Either the boots or the much more pronounced helmet made him appear even taller than usual.

"In your dream?" Loki inquired. He scanned the horizon of the desolated landscape. "Showing you the future."

Okay, that was different, but she certainly didn't question it. "Is that why I'm dreaming of you being so old?" Verity couldn't figure it out. If an Asgardian looked fifty-ish what did that mean? She shrugged in disappointment. "Not that I want to sleep you otherwise, but it would be much more likely." She admitted. Of course it didn't add up, but it didn't have to! She already forgot half of what happened.

"There's no point to explain it to you, especially in this worthless state." His disdain escalated when her brows only furrowed in confusion at his words.

It didn't help that she couldn't think straight. She could only hold her focus on a couple minute details at a time. "Future?" It still didn't mean anything to her until…

_In the future, Loki kills the world._ Val's words echoed in Verity's head. The rising dread felt all too palatable to be a dream. This was the Loki Valeria and Doom warned about. "This isn't real." Verity stated before she started to freak out.

"Correct," Loki validated her statement.

"Good," Verity's thankful sigh of relief.

Loki's smiled. "Now are you ready for the fun part?" It turned sinister once a bit of understanding started to creep into her eyes.

_It's fine. It's just a dream, no matter what happens._ Verity's confidence only amused him further. She remained planted in her spot with her arms crossed as he strided up to her. "So what happens now?"

Loki delighted at the contemptuous smirk on her lips. "Wake up."

* * *

><p>Verity awoke violently as chilled water was dumped over her head. She instinctively moved to flail her arms, but panicked unable to move them; her wrists were bound behind her tight. She inhaled deeply, still in shock on the cold and wet, stone floor. Verity couldn't discern any windows or doors in the dark room; it appeared illuminated by an ethereal green light. Shivering from cold, she managed to lift herself up to a seated position.<p>

"It's been a very long time." His voice was deeper than in her dream, the tone still familiar, but it held a slight rasp. The older Loki stepped into view right in front of her. Verity stared wide-eyed up at him. "_His_ pathetic attempt at humanity."

His dangerous eyes still held the sparkle the Loki she knew had. He smoothly lowered to a knee, now on her level and leaned in. "You…you're not Loki." Her words trembled as her body shook from the cold.

His hand ran up the side of Verity's wet cheek; "Of course I am. Can't you tell when I'm lying?"

She let that sink in. "Oh god, this is real." Verity stole a deep breath. Loki tightly gripped her arm, hauling her onto her feet. "Where am I?" She asked with slightly more trepidation.

Loki smirked. "You are deep in the dungeons of Asgardia."

Impressively, she regained her courage and began to shout. "Dungeons?! What the hell is going on?!" She got more enraged with each second. "You can't just fucking kidnap me! Did you lose your mind?!"

Loki patiently waited for her to finish her tirade. "Are you finished screeching? I'd rather not gag you; I prefer to hear it when you beg." He knew that speaking to her like this was only going to rile her up even more. So predictable.

"Untie or unchain whatever the hell you did to my hands." She forced her voice to stay calm.

Loki leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers with a grin, loving how she immediately wrenched away in fear. "Of course not." She was still secure in his grip; no amount of thrashing would free her. Verity shivered as his body brushed against hers. Loki's tight clothing contoured to every muscle in his body…and she could _feel_ it.

"I can't hurt you if I tried. Why even bother?" Verity was reaching her limit.

"The very same reason I awoke you as I did. It amuses me." As expected, she took the bait.

"I'm not a damn toy!"

With a wave of his hand, Loki instantly cut her off before she could continue. Verity's vision swam and her limbs weakened. It became too difficult to even keep her eyes open.

"You will learn quickly, mortal." Loki released Verity's arm and without his support she collapsed back to the floor in a heap. "That is exactly what you are to me." Loki received Verity's pained groan in response, and he relished the sound of it. "Shall we try this again?"

The heaviness suddenly lifted off Verity. She clumsily moved back to sit, her wrists still tightly chained behind her back as clarity returned. Her wet hair soaked her shirt and her glasses were askew. She managed to awkwardly maneuver her knee up to her face to right her frames enough.

Loki sighed after watching her flounder gracelessly about. "You are certainly no Leah."

_Who's Leah_? But Verity knew better than ask. "Fuck you." She growled and pulled at the bonds as if even her wild movements would somehow intimidate him. "Where is Loki? _My_ Loki."

"I'm right here." The man in front of her replied with smile that gave her even more chills than the cold water did.

She shook her head in disbelief, but it was the truth. If she really wanted to look him in the green eyes or aged face, it was obvious he was the same man. "You really are from the future."

He took a handful of her damp hair and pulled her head back harshly. "Tell me what else you deduced, my dear." Loki demanded as he forced Verity to her feet by her tangled, red hair.

She struggled to follow his movements quickly enough. "What do you want me to say? That apparently you can do whatever you want." She spat. "That you're evil?"

"That's always been true." Loki mused, his eyes roamed down her pale neck.

"No." She said steadfastly. "You may think that's the truth now, but it's not."

"I know exactly what you mean." His psychotic grin sure didn't convince her. "Believing the lie means it's true." Loki pushed her back against the wall. She winced as her pinned hands were almost crushed by the pressure.

He closed in and Verity involuntarily reared back, smacking her head against the stone. Loki brushed her face with his fingers and she cringed. His black nails were another reminder that it was the Loki she knew. "Tell me why I'm here."

Loki's hand slid under her chin, tilting her head and eyes up towards his. "You really don't want me to answer that, do you?"

_Maybe._ Verity pulled at her bindings. The skin on her wrists burned from twisting in the metal cuffs.

"Turn around." He commanded.

"I'm not doing shit for you. Go ahead and make me if that's what you want." She sneered.

"Enough melodrama." Loki admonished. Normally he'd welcome dramatics, but not at this moment. "Calm yourself," his voice strangely affected her. Verity found herself slowly responding to his words. "If you want your arms freed you will listen to me." She bit her tongue and slowly turned around to face the wall. "Good girl." Verity remained silent and he did indeed break the hold on her wrists. She instantly sighed in relief, but as soon as she turned and faced him again, Loki ran his thumb down over her lips.

"There is nothing to be scared of." He said it so sincerely it made nausea rise up from Verity's stomach. She never hated her ability to detect lying more in her entire life. "I would never harm you." Loki said slowly. Verity's shoulders tensed at every false statement and he continued with mirth. "I won't break you completely, and enjoy every moment of it." She glared at him, but he saw the scared girl inside fighting to maintain an illusion of bravery as each lie punched her in the gut.

Stuck between him and the wall, Verity pushed against his chest, but he was heavier than could be imagined. Whenever she touched the younger Loki, in the past, he always tried to react as a regular human did; her Loki would at least feign that.

"What I have planned for you…" Loki paused to scrutinize her, "I certainly no longer want to do now." He stepped back giving her space again. "I want _him_ to witness this." Loki mused aloud.

Verity balked. "Are you insane?" _Yes, of course he is_. She had a pretty good idea what his plan entailed. "_**HE's you!**_ Why would you do this to yourself?!" Verity shouted. He wanted to turn his younger self into this monster? Suddenly every bit of fear and dread moved from herself to her friend. "Don't bring him into this." She knew it was a mistake to plead at all. _Please don't._ _It would kill him. _

Her reaction only gratified Loki further. "You're already thinking ahead. I admire that; contemplating the worst. Now I am obligated to surpass your expectations." He smiled with genuine glee as he grasped her face with both hands.

Verity witnessed Loki planning the scenario in his head. She tried everything she could think of. "Loki," saying that name now messed with her head. "We were friends. We _**ARE**_ friends." In all honestly, she had no idea who he was anymore and her grip on reality was tenuous. Maybe some part of that Loki was still in there and she could reason with him.

"Friends," he chuckled, patting her cheek with disdain. "Did you really think that was possible?"

Verity refused to give up even though she wanted to spit in his fucking face. "You knew me. You remember me." She stated with certainty.

"How adorable." Loki's expression turned dark. "Only mortals think they leave such impressions on gods who live for thousands of years."

"You wouldn't bring me here if I didn't!" Verity sneered without fear. She _knew _she was right…right?

"Is that what you think?" Loki asked stepping far too close again and eyed her appreciatively. "Know this, child," Verity tried to turn her head away, but his finger on her jaw stopped all movement. "You were instrumental in how _I _came to be, and I am ensuring that comes to fruition."

The horrific truth stunned Verity silent. _No, he's wrong_.

"My existence wouldn't be possible without you, little one." He joyfully twisted the knife in the wound, watching her fall apart in front of him. Verity slumped to the floor in anguish, her eyes burned with tears. Loki's fingers gently combed through her damp hair, but she no longer reacted to anything. "Now we're ready to begin."

* * *

><p>Going off the deep end. Seriously, someone stop me.<p>

So next…Young Loki gets thrown in this mess and it's mostly smut.


End file.
